Roller skate



Nov. 21, 1950 N. M. FOULDS 2,531,357

ROLLER SKATE Filed June 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 h Y J 67 J6 6 67 INVENTOR.

MZZZ /JJ70ZMS N. M. FOULDS Nov, 21, 1950 ROLLER SKATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1948 Patented Nov. 21, 1950 Fjgpre 4 i a, sectional View takn 6n the lin 4:4 6f igure 1;

Figure 5 15a sebtizsn'al view tak'e'n on the line ii'df Figure 2; fiigui'e 6 is' a perspective View of the adjusting b5)? I u l'gug'e 7 ims "ei'spective views of ass'o tiiffi'ed. ifiai'ts of the car'rier "and hanger silpp'orts; aid

' Figur a 9 i 's 2i S'etin'al View of one of th roller skate wheel's.

Referring; now to the drawings in detail; the Ekat, bompries an elongated chanfiel shaped "adjusting Bar. 2 having the dep'ending parallel aiige's n and 5 'along i'ts bpp'osit sides; 1 9

60 for centralizing the carrier member to the hangers, as hereinafter described.

The hanger section of each truck is adapted to receive and mount in the carrier for the axle. The carrier is shown in Figure 8. Each comprises a heavy gauge metal body portion 62 which is of substantially elongated channel U-shape in formation, as shown in Figure 8 and is provided at its upper portion with opposed slots 63 and 63 to lend resiliency to the same whereby it may clampingly engage and hold the axle as shown in Figures and 9. The bottom 64 of the U-shaped portion is formed on a curve corresponding to the curve of the outer periphery of each axle 66 and 61. The two elongated flanges of this U- shaped portion 62 each extend upwardly and curve outwardly substantially at right angles thereto, as at 68 and I0, see Figure 5, to provide an elongated trough-like seat having internally curved walls conforming to the curvature of the centralized button-like depression 60 of the bottom wall 40 of each hanger. From the points 68 and the sides of the carrier extend outwardly asat I2 and I I and thence are provided at their free outer ends with U-shaped tongues I6 and I8 which are spaced apart to receive and clampingly engag the upper edge 80 and the bottom edge 82 of the body portion 40 of the hanger. These tongues 16 and 18 are pressed into tight clamping engagement with this upper edge 80 and lower edge 82 whereby permanently to unite the carrier to the hanger. In order to facilitate this clamping engagement each of these tongues I8 and I8 is centrally slotted as at I9 and 8| to provid increased resiliency thereat.

In this manner a hollow combined hanger and carrier construction for each truck is provided, which affords considerable resilienc and at the same time simplicity and ruggedness in construction and lightness in weight with economy in manufacture. By reason of the clamping eifect and the resilient character of the U-shaped arm 64 the axle 66 is held in position by these carriers.

It will be noted that this construction permits a truck structure which does not require the use of a block of resilient material mounted in the hanger portion of the truck. This is because of the lightness in weight and the resilient interfitting of the hanger and carrier sections of each truck, together with the centralizing action of the centralized portions 60, 68 and I0 of the interfitting carrier and hanger portions, together with the clamping action of the flanges I6 and I8 about the plate-like body portion 40 of the hanger.

It will be understood that the front and rear plates are adjustably held to the channel bar 2 by means of the short bolts 84 which pass through bolt holes in the toe and heel plates and through the slots 8 and I 2 in the channel bar and are held in position by the nuts 86 and 88.

Inasmuch as the rear carrier and hanger are connected in similar manner to the rear heel plate I8 no further description of the same is herein presented. The rear heel plate I8 is likewise provided with a rigidifying upstanding embossment 90 and with an integral upwardly outstanding heel plate 92 slotted as at 94 and 96 and 98. The slots 96 and 98 are adapted to receive the usual heel straps.

The front and rear axles 66 and 61 are both held in the similar carriers in the manner hereinbefore described. Inaddition, the axle is secured from turning in the carrier portion 64 by means- .of a punched indent I00.

The sheet metal wheels are constructed as I shown in Figure 9, without any ball bearings.

tread I20.

In this construction each wheel section is formed of a pair of sheet metal disks, such as disk I02, which has the preferably laterally sunken peripheral portion I04 for rigidity and strength. Inwardly at its center the central portion I06 is formed outwardly laterally of the portion I04 or of the outer peripheral wall I08 of this wheel. The central circular portion I06 of this first disk I02 is provided with a circular central aperture III] which is adapted to receive an elongated sleeve IIZ, which sleeve in turn receives the outer end I I4 of the axle 66. The outer end of this axle is pinned as at II6 to hold it to the sleeve H4, and the sleeve in turn is pinned as at II8 to clamp over the central opening I I0 of the outer wheel section I 02. This wheel section I02 has the peripheral The opposite section of the wheel is provided with a lateral wall portion I22 which at its inner central portion is provided with a central circular wall I24 lying outwardly of the wall I22. The outer periphery of the wall I22 is provided with the inwardly bent flange I26 which lies at right angles to the portion I22 and nests within the tread flange I20 of the opposite section. The central wall I 24 of this section of the wheel is provided with a central opening I 28 which surrounds the long sleeve II2 and the sleeve is peened over this hole I28 as at I30 whereby to clamp the two sections of the wheel together and likewise to clamp the wheel to the thimble or sleeve H2. The wheel in turn is held rotatably on the stationary axle I I3 by the peened over end of the axle and also by the curved peened over portion I30 of the inner portion of the sleeve which cannot move inwardly further than the adjacent end I32 of the carrier 64 will permit.

Thus by means of this wheel construction I have provided a very light, sturdy, simple wheel without the need of a ball bearing. It will be understood that all the wheels are of the same construction.

It is apparent that many widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departin from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A skate structure comprising toe and heel plates, an elongated channel-shaped bar adjustably connecting the toe and heel plates, a hanger connected to and depend from each of said plates, said hanger including opposed side walls and an elongated intermediate bottom plate disposed at a downwardly inclined angle with respect to said toe and heel plates, an axle carrier comprising a one-piece sheet metal member bent to provide an elongated, substantially U-shaped bottom portion having an inner wall curvature at its bottom correseponding to the peripheral curvature of the axle to be held therein, the opposed walls of said U-shaped bottom portion extending upwardly from the curved bottom portion thereof in inwardly curved formation and thence in outwardly curved opposite directions to provide plate-like extensions lying in a common plane, each of said exten ions terminating in oppositely and inwardly curved upper clamping flanges disposed generally parallel to and s aced from said extensions, said clamping flanges clampingly engaging opposed edges of the intermediate plate-like member of the hanger.

2. A skate structure comprisinga toe plate and a heel plate, an elongated channel-shaped bar adjustably connecting the toe and heel plates, a hanger connected to and depending irom each of said plates, said hanger including opposed side walls and an elongated intermediate bottom plate disposed at a downwardly inclined angle with respect to said toe and heel plates, an axle carrier comprising a one-niece sheet metal mem ber bent to provide an elongated, substantially U- shaped bottom portion having an inner wall curvature at its bottom corresponding to the peripheral curvature of the axle to be held therein, the opposed walls of said U-shaped bottom portion extending upwardly from the curved bottom portion thereof in inwardly curved formation and thence in outwardly curved opposite directions to provide plate-like extensions lying in a common plane, each of said extensions terminating in oppositely and inwardly curved upper clamping flanges disposed generally parallel to and spaced from said extensions, said clamping flanges clampingly engaging opposed edges of the intermediate plate-lixe member or the hanger, and a substantially circular depression adapted to lie between the outwardly curved upper walls of the U-shaped portion of the carrier to centralize the carrier with respect to said hanger, an axle mounted. in each of said U-shaped portions of the hanger and wheels mounted on each of said axles.

3. A skate structure comprising toe and heel plates, an elongated bar adjustably connected to the toe and heel plates, a hanger connected to and depending from each of said plates, each hanger including opposed side walls and an intermediate bottom wall, an axle carrier of sheet metal bent to provide an elongated troughshaped axle bearing portion having curved walls corresponding to the curve of the axle and forming a bearing to receive said axle, the upper opposed walls of said trough-shaped bearing being slotted to provide resilience, and said Walls at their upper ends curving inwardly in spaced relation toward each other and thence curving outwardly away from each other to provide two oppositely extending plate-like extensions lying in a common plane, the outer end of each of said extensions being bent upon themselves to provide resilient clamping jaws clamping gripping opposed portions of the intermediate plate of said hanger.

4. A skate structure comprising toe and heel plates, an elongated bar adjustably connected to the toe and heel plates, a hanger connected to and depending from each of said plates, each hanger including opposed side walls and an intermediate bottom wall, an axle carrier of sheet metal bent to provide an elongated trough-shaped axle bearing portion having curved walls corresponding to the curve of the axle and formin a bearing to receive said axle, the upper opposed walls of said trough-shaped bearing being slotted to provide resilience, and said walls at their upper ends curving inwardly in spaced relation toward each other and thence curving outwardly away from each other to provide two oppositely extending plate-like extensions lying in a common plane, the outer end of each of said extensions being bent upon themselves to provide resilient clamping jaws clamping gripping opposed portions of the intermediate plate of said hanger, said intermediate plate of said hanger being is formed with a depending centralizing embossll? mediate bottom wall, an axle carrier of sheet metal bent to provide an elongated troughshaped axle bearing portion having curved walls corresponding to the curve of the axle and forming a bearing to receive said axle, said opposed go Walls at their upper ends curving inwardly in spaced relation toward each other and thence curving outwardly away from each other to provide two oppositely extending plate-like extensions lying in a common plane, the outer end of as each of said extensions being formed upon themselves to provide clamping jaws clamping gripping opposed portions of the intermediate plate of said hanger, said intermediate plate of said hanger being formed with a depending cenzio tralizing embossment lying between the outwardly curving portions of the upper ends of said trough-like members whereby to centralize the carrier and the hanger in assembled relation, the outer ends of said clamping members of said as plate-like extension being slotted to impart resiliency thereto.

6. A skate structure comprising toe and heel plates, an elongated bar adjustably connecting the toe and heel plates and having downwardly all extending paralle1 flanges, a hanger havin an intermediate plate-like member and a pair of upstanding substantially triangular side walls, each of said side walls terminating in a pair of upstanding vertical extensions lying contiguous -3 to and outside of said depending flanges of said ,elongated bar, said extensions being provided with spaced upstanding lugs, the lugs of each hanger passing through correspondingly shaped slots in a plate member with the upper ends of said lugs peened over whereby to attach said hanger to said plate member, and a sheet metal axle carrier having opposed clamping arms clamping to the intermediate plate-like member of said hanger and having a centralized elongated resilient axle- 55 carrying portion and an axle in each of said axle-carrying portions, and wheels on said axle.

NEIL M. FOULDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 625,276 Schade, Jr. May 16, 1899 663,809 Hoerle Dec. 11, 1900 1,795,821 Baldwin Mar. 10, 1931 2,241,685 Ware May 13, 1941 

